WEBVTT ONE OF BOSTON'S MOST DIVERSE AND HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT NOT ALWAYS ONE OF ITS MOST DESIRED, TODAY ROXBURY'S MISSION HILL NEIGHBORHOOD IS AMONG THE HOTTEST ZIP CODES IN THE CITY. FORMER CITY COUNCILOR MIKE ROSS RELOCATED HERE FROM BEACON HILL IN 2007. I LIKE TO LIVE WHERE I CAN DO THE WORK MOST EFFECTIVELY, WHERE I CAN BE A NEIGHBOR AND RESIDENT AS WELL. I KIND OF FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. THE RECENT GENTRIFICATION OF THE NEIGHBOR CAN BE SEEN THE THE VIBRANT COMMERCIAL CENTER AT BRIGHAM CIRCLE, BUT IT'S ALSO BROUGHT SKYROCKETING HOUSING COSTS THAT HAVE DISPLACED MANY LONG-TIME RESIDENTS. IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE ON ONE FRONT. BUT AS THIS COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO TRANSITION AND TO GROW AND CHANGE, LIKE ALL COMMUNITIES DO, IT'S HEADED IN A GREAT DIRECTION. MISSION HILL HAS STRONG BONES, AND GOOD CHARACTER AND HEART. AND A LOT OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS AND FOUNDATIONS THAT MADE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD GREAT ARE STILL HERE. INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE TOBIN COMMUNITY CENTER ON TREMONT STREET. ROSS SAYS THIS BASKETBALL COURT IS HALL WILLED GROUND. THE TINY LITTLE SECTION OF MISSION HILL, ALICE TAYLOR HOUSING, A COUPLE BLOCKS, ONLY A COUPLE HUNDRED FAMILIES, HAS CONSISTENTLY FOR DECADES TURNED OUT SOME OF THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYERS IN AMERICA. THE REASON, SAYS ROSS, COACHES LIKE JOHN JACKSON WHO NOT ONLY TEACH BASKETBALL BUT TURN LIVES AROUND. GETTING PEOPLE A DECENT BITE TO EAT, GETTING THEM END INDICATED, GETTING THEM COMPUTER SKILLS AND JOB TRAINING SKILLS. THOSE ARE THE COACHES WHO SENT THESE ALMOST DOZEN OR SO -- TO PLAY BASKETBALL, ALMOST BECAUSE, HEY, BY THE WAY, LET'S ALSO NURTURE YOUR BASKETBALL SKILLS. ROSS SHOWED US ANOTHER MISSION HILL INSTITUTION, MIKE'S DONUTS. THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THE TOWN HALL OF MISSION HILL. YOU CAN COME IN HERE AND GET YOUR NEWSPAPER OR YOUR MISSION HILL GAZETTE. BUT THE REAL NEWS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING COMES FROM THE CHARACTERS WHO LINE THE WALLS OVER HERE AND HAVE THEIR COFFEE EVERY MORNING. WHEN I USED TO BE IN OFFICE, AS A CITY COUNCILOR, I WOULD COME IN AND GET HAVING I NEEDED TO KNOW THAT I WAS DOING WRONG. THE CENTER PIECE OF THIS COMMUNITY IS THE MISSION CHURCH, A PLACE SO SIGNIFICANT THAT IT GAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ITS NAME. SAYS FATHER RAYMOND COLLINS MUCH WE CAME HERE BY RELIGIOUS OTHER IN 1869, SIMPLY AS MISSIONARIES. AND THEN WE BEGAN TO MINISTER TO THE CATHOLICS IN THE IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY, SO THEY CALLARIES. AND THEN THEY CALLED US THE MISSIONARIES. THE CHURCH IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF ROMAN ESQUE ARCHITECTURE. IT IS BUILT IN THE FORM OF A CROSS, THE AISLE BEING THE VERTICAL ARM, AND THIS IS THE HORIZONTAL ARM. ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING FEATURES IS THE STAINED GLASS, IT'S GERMAN STAINED GLASS MADE BY MEYER IN MUNICH IN THE 19TH CENTURY, EARLY 20TH CENTURY, AND THE DETAIL IS REALLY EXTRAORDINARY. IN 2009 THE CHURCH TOOK THE GLOBAL STAGE, AS WORLD LEADERS CAME HERE TO THE FUNERAL OF SENATOR TED KENNEDY. IF IT DEEPENS PEOPLE'S FAITH AND HOPE IN GOD, I THINK IT'S DONE ITS JOB. AND BROUGHT FAITH AND HOPE TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE, MANY WHO ARE NO LONGER IN THE WORLD. MISSION HILL IS KNOWN AS A HOST TO HOSPITALS AND COLLEGES. BUT UNTIL NOW, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PLACE TO STAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. ENVISION HOTEL ON SOUTH HUNTINGTON, JUST 50 FEET FROM THE MISSION HILL BORDER, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SAYS THE GENERAL MANAGER. WE HAVE 39 ROOMS, WE FOCUS A LOT ON SERVICE. WE'RE LOCATED REALLY CLOSE TO THE HOSPITAL, SO SERVICE IS VERY IMPORTANT WITH THOSE GUESTS AND WITH EVERYBODY. THE HOTEL OFFERS RATES SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN BOSTON'S BIG HOTELS. AND IS WITHIN FEET OF THE GREEN LINE, PROVIDING EASY ACCESS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. IT'S NOT THE BIG BOX HOTEL THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY GO INTO, IT MORE HOMEY FEELING. PEOPLE STAY WITH US EVERY WEEK AND SAY THIS IS THEIR HOME AWAY FROM HOME. THAT'S WHAT WE STRIVE FOR. NEXT "CHRONICLE," DINE OR YOU CAN BUY THE TABLE. EVERYTHING IS FOR SALE. A MOVIE FOR ALL THE SENSES. SMELL BANANA. AND NOT JUST BACK STAGE, ON STAGE WITH THE LION KING.